Full Show Friday | Neil Young With Booker T. & MGs 1993

Booker T. & the MG’s were one of the most prolific backing bands of all-time. Formed in the early ’60s as the house band for the legendary Stax Records label, they quickly became the in-demand group for some of the most famous soul recordings ever. The band could be heard on famed tracks recorded by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, Wilson Pickett…the list is endless.

Not only were Booker T. & The MG’s a force when it came to backing other artists, they’ve also produced a number of outstanding albums themselves. Eventually, they started to cross into the rock music world, performing with bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bob Dylan. In 1993, a year after they had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Neil Young asked Booker T. & The MG’s to back him on a tour. Today’s Full Show Friday selection comes from that tour’s July 3rd tour stop in Torhout, Belgium at the Torhout Festival. It was apparently shot by a Metallica roadie who wanted to try out his equipment before using it for a Metallica show.

The video was shot by a single camera that appears to be sitting near the soundboard. The sound is clearly pulled from the soundboard mix and sounds wonderful. Booker T.’s swirling B3 combined with Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn’s driving bass is the perfect compliment to Neil Young’s crunchy guitar sound.

Setlist:
Mr Soul
The Loner
Southern Man
Helpless (w/false start)
Like a Hurricane
Take a Chance on Love
Separate Ways
Powder Finger
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Harvest Moon
The Needle and the Damage Done
Live to Ride
Down by the River
All Along the Watchtower

Musicians:
Neil Young -vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano
Booker T. Jones -organ, synthesizer, vocals
Steve Cropper -guitar
Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn -bass
Jim Keltner -drums
Astrid Young -backup vocals
Annie Stocking -backup vocals